re: wolf tones
You do get them on acoustics and archtops, but it doesn't sound like the traditional bowed instrument wolf (which is sort of like a warble on a cello, for instance). Instead, you get a "dead" note. Were you to bow the string, you would get more of a wolf because you're constantly exciting it. Also, as George notes, guitars and violins are constructed differently.
I don't tune my guitar tops and backs to any particular frequency. I tap them until they sound and feel "right". Nice resonance. Good, clean note. Good stiffness/flexibility. When it's right, it just feels right. On the other hand, it's very funny that my top and back always seem to come out tuned somewhere around a half-step away from each other. I'm not really sure why. I'm probably just making them roughly equal (since I'm doing it by feel), but I never get it exactly right so I'm always a half step off, or thereabouts. LOL. Who knows.
I'm with you, David. If you listen to a lot of builders, you'll hear a lot of mumbo jumbo and nonsense. It's like talking to a witch doctor. If you listen to the greats, they'll often admit how little is really known about what makes a guitar great, and then they'll explain what's worked for them over the years and why they think it works. Some of the bracing patterns I've seen are so complex as to be a little humorous, but when it's well executed they just don't really sound all that different from more traditional bracing. How do two unrelated instrument designs sound so much alike? I don't think anyone's really figured that out yet. It's actually kind of exciting because there's still many improvements to be made, or at least lots more to understand.
I think George would agree (though he may not) that violins are a little different in that you're maybe trying to hit an ideal rather than make constant improvements. I guess you can think of that as easier because you have something known to shoot for, or it's harder because it's far more obvious when you miss the mark. When a guitar sounds a little off, you KNOW there's someone out there who's going to just fall in love with it and find a way to make it work for them.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by David Weaver
